Trimmer for reeds of musical instruments



(No Model.)

O. MEISTER. TRIMMER 'FOR REEDSOF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No.- 555,962. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

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AN DREW BYGRNMM. PHOTO-LITHQWASHlNGTON, D (I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES MEISTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRIMMER FOR REEDS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,962, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed February 9, 1895. Serial No. 537,744. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES MEISTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trimmers for Reeds of Musical Instruments, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a device for trimming wooden reeds for musical instruments, embodying a bed, a rotary cutter, and a radius-arm carrying said cutter, whereby the latter is adapted to sweep over said bed on which the reed is supported in a circular direction and thus smoothly out or trim the edge of the same in a convenient and effective manner.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a reed-trimmer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of a portion on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a bed-plate on which a reed to be trimmed is placed and supported, and B designates a radius-arm of the form of a crank, which has one limb under said plate connected with the latter by the pivotal pin or screw C. The other limb of said arm extends upwardly at one end of said bed and has attached to it the handle D,whose tang or stem E passes through and is inturned from said limb and carries the rotary cutter F, which, as will be seen, is adapted to sweep over said bed A and has a boss G inturned from said limb and mounted on said stem as an axis and forms a broad bearing for the cutter. On the outer end of the stem is a nut I l, which serves to keep the cutter in position; but other suitable means may be employed for the same purpose.

The end of the bed A adjacent to the cutter H is segmental, the arc of a circle drawn from the pivot C as a center, it being seen that the arm B may be readily moved to the right or left, as the case may be, and thus carry the cutter F in a circular direction over the bed A, the vertical limb of the arm contacting with the segmental end of the bed A,

so that the cutter is carried true in its motions to the right and left.

Rising from the sides of the bed A are ears J, on which is swiveled the right and left threaded screw K, whose threads engage respectively with the parallel bars L, which rest on the bed A and serve to center the reed between them on said bed, it being noticed that said bars are separated equidistant from the center of the bed in the longitudinal direction thereof and are adapted to move simultaneously in opposite directions by the rotation of said screw K.

The operation is as follows: The bars L are separated and the reed is placed between the same and rested on the bed A, after which the bars are closed and the reed is centered by the same on the bed. The reed is then moved toward the segmental end of the bed relatively to the extent of trimming required, and said reed is firmly held by the thumb while the arm 13 is swung to the right or left, as the case may be, whereby the cutter comes in contact with the reed and cuts into and readily turns the same in circular direction in a uniform and regular manner without the formation of a jagged edge.

The screw K is provided with the head M for convenience of rotating the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A reed-trimmer consisting of a bed having a segmental end, an angular arm whose horizontal limb is pivoted to the bed on the under side thereof, a handle 011 the vertical limb of said arm a boss receiving the tang of said handle, and a rotatable cutter mounted on said boss over said bed, said parts being combined substantially as described.

2. A reed-trimmer having a bed, an angular arm whose horizontal limb is pivoted to the under side of the bed, a boss at the inner side of the vertical limb of said arm, a handle secured to said arm and boss, and a rotary cutter mounted on said boss over said bed, said parts being combined substantially as described.

3. In a trimmer, a bed with ears rising therefrom, a right and left threaded screw swiveled in said ears, plates movable on said screws and resting on said bed and a handle 10 with hub G 011 said tang, the ears J rising from said bed, the right and left threaded screw K swiveled in said ears and the parallel plates L movable by said screws and resting on said bed, said parts being con1- bined substantially as described.

CHARLES MEISTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. XVIEDERSHEIM, A. P. JENNINGS. 

